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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23973325">Cycles</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Because even if I wanted soft Lamen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I just wanted to write soft Lamen so I did, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, None of these tags are relevant, There are mentions of Laurent’s abuse, i love pain</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:07:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,046</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23973325</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s Laurent’s birthday, and Damen has a special gift for him. A story.<br/>“In Akielos, we like to see things in cycles. It’s comforting, to know that everything starts, ends, and starts again indefinitely.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cycles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I wrote this in one shot between midnight and one in the morning so even if I tried to correct some mistakes, there are probably still tons of them, but I really wanted to post this</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Today was a special day. It was Laurent’s birthday, the first they spent together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, technically, the second, but Laurent’s 21th birthday hadn’t felt like his birthday, the whole attention focused on his Ascension and the situation in their country had been too complicated to really celebrate his birthday anyway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But today, it was different. Akielos and Vere were at peace. Their power was established and stable in both their countries. They could live. They could </span>
  <em>
    <span>celebrate</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so that’s what they had done. Laurent had been showered in presents and compliments all day long, shaking hands and giving fake smiles to his less trusted courtiers and genuinely enjoying himself with his inner circle. They had even been into town, mingling with the people because Damen knew it was something Laurent liked to do. It made his role as king more real to see the people his decisions impacted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the people loved him. It was something Damen had first noticed back when he still wore two golden cuffs and a collar. If the nobles insulted Laurent behind his back, the common people worshipped him. It was even truer now. Laurent had been acclaimed by the townspeople, ‘Happy birthday, Your Majesty’ on all their lips. He had received a lot of homemade presents, especially from the children ; messy embroideries, little paintings on rocks, bouquets of wild flowers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those were the presents Laurent appreciated the most. He was grateful for everything he had received, but Damen knew that the fact that his people had taken their time to make something for him mattered a lot to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was only one present Laurent hadn’t received, and it was Damen’s. And Damen was nervous about it. He had two presents, really, and if one of them he had already given, he had been keeping the other for when they would finally be alone together. Like they were now, in their chambers, Laurent taking his crown and jewelry off. Contrary to most Veretian nobles, Laurent didn’t wear much jewelry. Only his signet ring, which was more practical than an ornament, the golden cuff and wedding ring that were twins to Damen’s, and a single sapphire earring. The courtiers were outraged when they first saw him wearing it ; if rings and necklaces could be worn by highborn men, earrings were for women and pets. Eventually, though, they had gotten used to it, because the King did as he pleased, and it pleased him a great deal to wear this piece of jewelry that reminded him of Nicaise, whom he had loved so dearly. But Damen knew that there was also someone else Laurent thought of when he felt the weight of the sapphire hanging from his ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His uncle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laurent had turned in his seat to look at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You seemed lost on your thoughts. Is there anything troubling you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, my love,” Damen assured with a smile. He walked towards Laurent, rested his hand on the top of his chair, and looked at him in the mirror. “I was just thinking of your second present.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My second present?” Laurent said, furrowing his golden eyebrows. “The mare was wonderful enough, you didn’t need to waste any more money on me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No money spent for your pleasure is a waste. Besides, there’s no need to worry about that it’s not something I bought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now I’m intrigued. Did you paint on a rock for me like my countrymen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, I do not have the skills required for that. Would you stand up please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laurent’s brows furrowed further, and he gave Damen a puzzled look, but still obeyed. He stood in front of Damen, waiting for him to do or say something. When Damen eventually opened his mouth, it was to say something Laurent wouldn’t have suspected. “Let me attend you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a King. You’re not supposed to attend anyone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In the privacy of our room, we’re not Kings. Let me attend you. It’s no different than when I undress you before making love to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Except it was. They both knew it. There was a reverence in Damen’s gestures when he attended Laurent that wasn’t here when he undressed quickly only for skin to touch skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A slight flush appeared on Laurent’s cheeks. “Do you intend to fuck me tonight? It’s my birthday, after all, I deserve at least that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do,” Damen grinned. “And I do intent to keep you up all night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All night? You’re being presumptuous, lover. Will you be able to keep up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laurent’s posture was less straight than before, more sensual. An invitation. But Damen had a plan and he would stick with it, as much as he wanted to rip his clothes off Laurent and take him here and now, on the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will, don’t worry. For now, let me attend you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re very determined to do that. I thought laces were an unnecessary inconvenience.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, he offered one of his wrists to Damen, who took it carefully with one hand, his other hand reaching for the small golden laces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are, but they have their charm,” Damen answered as he slowly untied the sleeve of Laurent’s jacket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His white undershirt revealed itself bit by bit, adding more laces that Damen would have to undo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he saw the first bit of skin appearing under his careful fingers, he took a deep breath and said “In Akielos, there is something we believe in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You believe in a lot of things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, don’t interrupt me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was tense. His voice was tense, and his fingers worked Laurent’s laces more messily than a few seconds again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t sure it was a good idea. Laurent didn’t like most of Akielon’s beliefs, which he called fantasist tales. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laurent seemed taken aback by Damen’s reaction. He kept his mouth shut when Damen opened his, his fingers moving to Laurent’s other sleeve. “In Akielos, we like to see things in cycles. It’s comforting, to know that everything starts, ends, and starts again indefinitely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both of Laurent’s forearms were now uncovered. Damen raised the wrist he was holding to his lips, and kissed Laurent’s pale skin, right were his pulse point was. “One of these cycles concerns our bodies. Please turn around,” he asked softly. the remaining laces holding Laurent’s jacket in place were in his back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laurent obeyed, still not sure of what was happening but trusting. Damen nonetheless. As he started undoing the bigger laces in the back, Damen said “You know how when you get a small injury, your body will heal it by itself, without needing stitches or any medical procedure.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those laces were the easiest to undo, and Damen was quickly done with them. The jacket fell on the floor, leaving Laurent with his undershirt and pants. And his boots.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Damen went down on his knees and when he felt Damen’s hands on his boots, Laurent held his breath. It was not dignified for a King to kneel for anyone. Not even another King. Not even a lover. Especially not for something like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Damen didn’t care about that, so he untied the laces at the top of the boots, holding them in place, and took them off one by one. He stopped his story during that, but Laurent didn’t seem to notice. Or care. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the boots were removed, Damen stood up and asked Laurent to turn around. He noticed that Laurent’s face was redder than before, his eyes shiny, and more than that, when he looked down he saw that Laurent was half hard already. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You like having me on my knees for you, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laurent flushed further. “Weren’t you telling me some Akielon story?” he said, trying to stay as composed as he could. He was very good at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was,” Damen smiled. His hands went up to Laurent’s throat where the laces fastening his undershirt were tied, and he felt the roll of Laurent’s Adam’s apple as he gulped. “I was talking about how our body can heal itself. It means that it can regenerate itself, right? Replacing cells with others?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose. I’m no physician.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know why in Akielos, a Prince is of age to be King at 21?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laurent seemed more confused by the turn of this conversation every minute. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t that age chosen randomly like it is in Vere?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not. Raise your arms.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laurent did, and his undershirt quickly became a memory, thrown somewhere by Damen, whose eyes were travelling along Laurent’s upper body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t look like a King like that, Damen thought. Just like a young man like any other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laurent cleared his throat. He was fully hard now. “Then why is it 21?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because it is believed that our body renews itself every seven years. Therefore, when you turn 21, a cycle came to its end. It’s a revival, the beginning of something new,” Damen explained, keeping his voice as neutral as he could as he worked the laces of Laurent’s pants, his fingers brushing Laurent’s erection and drawing small breaths from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damianos, why are you telling me this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clearly, he didn’t understand. Of course he didn’t. Laurent was the most clever person Damen knew, but there was one topic that seemed to always escape his brilliant mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Damen’s fingers started shaking slightly. He didn’t like what he was about to say, he didn’t want to talk about it, he knew Laurent didn’t talk about it, but it was important.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You once told me that the last time your uncle… touched you, was the day before your fifteenth birthday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laurent closed his eyes, his whole body tensing as his fingers gripped the edge of the table behind him so tightly that they turned white. Damen stopped the movement of his own hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you think that most Akielon’s beliefs are foolish, but I thought you would find some… comfort in this one. Today was your twenty second birthday. It’s been seven years. If you consider this belief to be true… then your body has completely been renewed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, carefully, to leave time for Laurent to push him away if he didn’t want to be touched, Damen reached out to lay his hand on Laurent’s bare hip. When Laurent didn’t move, he did. Laurent twitched when he felt Damen’s hand on him, but didn’t move back. “This skin,” Damen said, his eyes meeting Laurent’s “has never been and will never be touched by your uncle. This skin hasn’t either.” He touched Laurent’s collarbone, making him shiver. He leaned in to whisper in Laurent’s ear “Only I will ever touch this body.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In other circumstances, Laurent would have teased him. But not now. Not when he was so shaken by what Damen had said. By hearing about his uncle, when he had tried his best to not ever mention him. By hearing this foolish Akielon belief, that, for once, he so wanted to believe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had tried so hard to make his body feel like his own again after it’d been his uncle’s property for so long. He’d taken baths after baths, rubbing his skin until it bled to wash off any trace of his uncle on him and had never really managed to feel like he wasn’t dirty for so many years, until Damen came along and helped him reclaim both his sexuality and his body. And now Damen was here again, telling him about one of these tales Laurent usually disliked so much just because he thought it would help make him feel better about himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it did. It was probably nonsensical, and he was sure that if he asked Paschal if there was any real science behind the Akielons’ belief, his physician would most likely ruin Damen’s story.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it didn’t matter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What mattered, were those familiar hands on his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His skin, renewed, free of his uncle’s touch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He only noticed he was crying when he felt a single tear running down his cheek. His hands left the edge of the desk to grip Damen’s body instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Damen, his lover, his safe harbor, the only man he had trusted with his heart and soul. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe not all Akielon stories are foolish fantasies,” he whispered, resting his head on Damen’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
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